


Mark

by Jericho_andromeda_winters



Category: Who Killed Markiplier? (Web Series)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-10-19 06:00:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17595788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jericho_andromeda_winters/pseuds/Jericho_andromeda_winters
Summary: Following the chaos of the House gathering and the stinging betrayal of one of their closest friends, Mark, Chica, and Amy moved back to Los Angeles to start their new lives together. Though the grief of their losses remains fresh in their minds, they manage to move past it and live happily together, filming goofy videos and fighting the occasional monster when they have the time.But true to form, they don't stay out of trouble for long.A dark storm is brewing overseas, and the trio is forced into action when the clashing shifter clans of Korea threaten Mark's family. The fragile peace between species hangs in the balance in the midst of a Paranormal cold war.The fate of millions now hinges on one man and his faithful golden retriever.





	1. 1

Mark's POV: 

"You feeling any better, Chica pica?" I asked my friend, motioning to the leg I had just finished wrapping. The retriever looked at her back leg and gave it an experimental shake before wincing and lowering it back to the ground with a growl of discomfort. 

'Ouchie... well, I wouldn't recommend any belly scritches in the near future,' she offered, cocking her head comically. 

That made me chuckle. "Yeah. We'll give your leg a rest for now." 

"Aaaaand... done!" Amy chimed triumphantly, sitting back to proudly observe her handiwork. I peeked over her shoulder to see that she had finished wrapping up the white raven's wing. The black raven hopped over to affectionately nuzzle his face into his brother's neck. Aw... 

"That's that," Amy sighed before turning to see how everyone else was faring. "So much pain in one room... you think he's gonna be okay?" She asked, motioning to where Wiishu, Mikhail, and Jericho were hovering over the bed on the other side of the cabin. 

"Who, Atticus? Oh hell yeah, he'll be fine! He's a stubborn lil' squirt," I assured her confidently with a grin, hoping to lift her spirits. I was happy to see her give a small smile in return.  

"I know. And what about you?" She asked carefully. 

I looked away, not really knowing how to answer that. I knew why she'd asked; I might not have been injured physically, but on the inside... I was reeling, almost out of my mind with grief. Sean's betrayal had hit me harder than anything else I'd encountered on this journey. My heart tightened so sharply that I felt like it was literally being ripped right out of my chest. 

"I honestly don't know," I admitted softly, unable to muster up anything more than a whisper. I ran a hand through Chica's fur as she whined. "It's always been one of my greatest fears, losing the people I love. I didn't think that there could be anything worse than having to attend a funeral for a friend, but this... God, this is so much worse."

I closed my eyes and leaned into Amy's embrace as she wrapped her arms around me, allowing my tears to fall on her shoulder.  

"We'll find him, Mark," she murmured. 

"We'll bring him back."


	2. 2

Present Day, January 2019:   
Mark's POV:

 

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" I asked Chica with a grin. I was about to ruffle her fur, but stopped when she fixed me with her patented stink-eye and huffed. 

"I'd suggest sleeping with one eye open tonight, Markimoo."

"...Oh."

"Sorry, Chica. We'll try to keep the smothering to a minimum, sweetie," Amy chuckled. The retriever preened happily as Amy bent down to scratch her neck and itch behind her ears.

"Hmph. You'd better. I don't care what the fans say," she growled.

"But they love you!" I protested.

"They love an adorable doofy puppy, not me. And though I am indeed adorable, doofy I am not." she sniffed and turned to trot toward the door, giving a sassy flick of her tail as she went.

"Told you so," Amy muttered. 

"Would bacon make you feel better? Just a little, fresh off the griddle?" I called after the disgruntled dog. I grinned when she stopped, her tail twitching despite herself. 

"No... but it'll help." 

"Got it, chief!" 

With that, a happy Chica trotted off toward the kitchen with Amy and I in tow. I smiled when Amy took my hand in hers and placed a cute abbreviated kiss on my cheek. 

I was such a lucky guy. 

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

After the House fiasco, Amy, Chica and I decided to move back to my place in L.A. to settle down for awhile. It really made sense; after everything we'd been through, the three of us deserved to indulge in a little normalcy. The rest of the gang followed suit, with Felix and Marzia moving back to Brighton and Anti and Atticus moving to New York, though they came back to L.A. a couple months later when Atticus may or may not have committed a felony. Yikes. 

Mikhail, Dark, and Jericho started an organization of their own called The Exonerated. From what I understood, it was a group of both human and Paranormal rouges that were on the run from the Resistance or the House. They worked pretty closely with the Hunters, and since the three of us did the same, we traded information pretty often. 

Wiishu took a darker path, choosing to work alone in her quest for vengeance, leaving the rest of us to worry. Amy took it the hardest; the fact that we hadn't heard from her in almost a year felt almost like a betrayal to her. I don't think she ever quite got over the sting. 

But for the most part, life was pretty great! Other than the occasional midnight beast hunt, our days were peaceful, spent making videos, looking up recipes, or just goofing off together.

 

 

Yep, life was perfect... 

Until a fucking Lion crashed through our God damn kitchen window.


	3. 3

Mark's POV: 

Yeah, how'd you like that bombshell?

Anyway. The lion. 

...Nah, bacon first; Mufasa later.

"This better be good," Chica grumbled as she watched me flip the bacon on the griddle. She had her paws up on the kitchen counter, nose twitching and tail wagging at the amazing smell. I smiled; she could try all she liked to hide it, but she was a naturally happy pup. 

"You bring home the bacon, I'll cook it," I rejoined. She laughed and pushed off the counter to trot over to Amy for pets. 

"Heckin' right I bring home the bacon." 

"Mm-hm." 

My masterpiece was seconds away from maximum deliciousness when it happened. 

I heard a faint rustling behind me, coming from outside beyond the wall. I heard Chica growl as I turned around to face the window. There was a slightly muffled roar followed by a deafening crash as the window and some of the wall around it was shattered by a gargantuan furry projectile; if I'd waited a millisecond more to duck out of the way, I'd be as flat as the pancakes I had been craving not thirty seconds ago. 

"What... what the fuck?!" I shouted hoarsely, brandishing my tongs and backing away as the three hundred pound feline pushed itself slowly to its feet. Amy and Chica ran to stand by my side, ready to fight... only for the lion to let out a soft growl of pain and slump to the side, leaning on the cabinets for support. I belatedly noticed the awful wounds covering its body, wincing at a particularly nasty gash near its neck. It was weak; it looked like it was just barely managing to stay awake. 

The lion then let out one last chuff before falling limply to the ground. I immediately dropped the tongs and ran to its side without thinking, worrying more for its safety than mine.

"Shit! Are you okay?" I asked frantically as if it could answer. My hands hovered over its body as I tried to decide what to do. "Oh God, oh shit this looks bad..." 

Amy was already bolting into the other room. "I'll get the first aid kit and some sheets!" She called as she went, "boil some water!" 

I leapt up and rushed to do as she asked, wondering why we were bothering. I had figured out by now that the thing was probably not a real lion. A shifter seemed way more likely. We didn't know who he was or why he crashed through the wall, whether or not he was a threat... then again, we couldn't just stand by and watch something suffer, enemy or not. 

I set the water on the stove and turned to see Chica with her nose buried in the lion's mane. 

"Chica!" 

"Wait a sec, I know this scent..." she muttered. She gave a couple more short snuffles before her head shot up, her eyes wide.   
"I got it! It's Chirombo!" 

"I'm sorry, who?" I asked, confused. She sneezed and shook herself before answering. 

"Ugh, sorry. Dander. You know, the mammal shifter King. From the House gathering?" She prompted. 

"Oh yeah, that guy." 

I paused. 

"Well what the fuck is he doing here?" 

Chica briefly tilted her head in the doggy version of a shrug. Amy came running back into the room a moment later toting three separate first aid kits. 

"Sorry that took so long; I figured we'd need a lot," she apologized, quickly kneeling down to get to work. Chirombo was so big that it took almost half an hour to clean and wrap all of his wounds even with both of us on the job. We had to tear up a couple of sheets (and they were nice one too, damnit) when we ran out of gauze and medical tape. When we were done, we laid down some blankets and rolled him over onto them; he was a heavy bastard. 

We stood and looked down at him, not knowing what to do next. 

"I gotta say, I did NOT expect a three hundred pound lion king to break my window this morning," I remarked.

"Unreal, I know. do we... do we feed him?" Amy asked. "I mean, I know he crashed through a window, but I think the king counts as a guest..."

"Not a bad idea, actually; that's pretty much the way to any carnivore's heart," Chica agreed. "Wanna go out and buy some stuff? Fifteen steaks would probably feed him."

"Ugh, yikes. I'll make a run, be right back." 

Chica and I sat down beside the sleeping feline to wait for her return. "How did you even remember him, anyway?" I asked after a moment. "That was literally, like... a year ago."

Chica sniffed and tossed her head. "I never forget a scent."

"Welp, I guess the only thing we can do for now is wait for mufasa here to wake up. Why do you think he came here and wrecked our wall?"

Chica looked back at Chirombo and let out a soft growl. "By the looks of those wounds... it can't be a good story."


	4. 4

Mark's POV: 

When Amy got back half an hour later with over a hundred bucks of dead meat in tow, the king was still out cold. At a loss for what to do, we decided to lug the big guy into the living room so we could binge some Netflix while we waited for him to wake up. 

We were interrupted by The Blue Oysters before our third episode of Parks and Recreation.

'Come on baby, don't fear the reaper  
Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper...'

Instantly recognizing the ringtone, I fumbled around and yanked my phone out of my back pocket as my girlfriend and dog looked on curiously. 

"Judging by your choice of song, I'm assuming that's Mikhail," Amy said, leaning over to confirm her suspicions. "What do you think he wants?" 

I shrugged and pressed the answer button before putting the phone on speaker and setting it on the coffee table. "Let's find out. Heya Micky!"

For about ten uncomfortably long seconds, there was no answer. Feeling more awkward by the moment, I decided to break the silence myself.

"...uh... Hello? Micky? Wait, is this about me calling you Micky? I didn't mean to... I mean, I just... uh..." I mumbled sheepishly, eventually trailing off into silence. I cast a helpless glance at Amy, but she just shrugged, looking amused. I was relieved when Mikhail finally let out a long, weary sigh.

"Oh good, you're still here! I didn't know if-"

"Before you dig yourself a second hole and subject me to another irritating round of your awkward fumbling," the knight cut in sharply before I could do just that, "Do kindly shut up and let Amy do the talking."

I pouted and sat back, trying my best not to take Mikhail's grumpy old man act too personally. Amy chuckled and leaned forward towards the phone with her elbows on her knees and chin resting in her hands.

"Well someone's grumpy," she teased, not fazed in the slightest at his mood. 

"For good reason," he growled. "I just got off the phone with Misses Kjellburg and her blasted idiot of a husband." 

"That'll do it," Amy laughed. "I'm sure they gave you a hard time. Why'd you call them?" 

"Unfortunately, their situation warranted that they call me. But never mind that," he dismissed before we could ask why, "Is there anything that you two-" 

Chica barked. 

"You three," Mikhail ammended, "would like to tell me?"

"Would... this have anything to do with the lion in our living room?" I ventured tentatively. The three of us winced at the faint crash that came from Mikhail's end followed by a bitter curse; it sounded like he'd dropped something. 

"Chirombo is there?!" He exclaimed, the shock in his voice clearly audible. "Why didn't they- no, why didn't you call me?! First the Vampires, now this!" He cursed again. 

"Wait, what do you know about this? And what's happening with the vampires?" I asked worriedly. 

"That," he growled, "doesn't concern you. Is the king hurt?" 

"Uh, Yeah. Pretty bad, actually. And once again: how. did. you. Know?" I demanded, more than a little pissed off at how needessly cryptic he was being. "Just tell us what's going on!"

A shuffling sound followed by a deafening crash on his end interrupted him before he could answer. I heard multiple high pitched voices shouting something that I couldn't decipher. We all sat forward in shock, trading looks of concern. 

"Mikhail? What was-" 

"Damn it all, I don't have time for this right now!" Mikhail snarled. "I have bigger problems. If I survive this, I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Just get out of that house, out of that city! And whatever you do, don't use a portal and avoid snakes at all costs!" 

There was a loud burst of static before the line went dead.


	5. 5

Mark's POV: 

"What... the... fuck," I said slowly after a moment, willing my brain to process everything that just happened. 

Thankfully, Amy was quite a bit quicker to the draw; she had already jumped up from the couch before the second dialtone sounded and was running for the hallway with her keys in hand. Assuming that she was going to the armory to grab our gear, I snatched the phone off the table and tried dialing Felix: 

Ring...

Ring...

"No answer?" Chica asked.

Ring...

Ring...

I sighed in defeat and hit end before it could go to voicemail.  "Nope." I tossed the phone aside and sat forward, groaning into my hands. "What the hell, man... not even a year before this shit starts up again..." 

Chica whined sympathetically and laid her head on my leg. "Buck up, Markimoo; we'll still be here." 

"Thanks, girl." 

Amy reentered the room with our armor and weapons slung over her shoulders. "Suit up, you two; we're getting out of here," she said as she tossed us our things and began removing her own clothes. That was one of the great things about living with the only two girls in the world that I could change in front of comfortably; Amy and I saw plenty of each other already, and chica... well, dogs don't really care if you're dressed either way.

"You know what? We should have a montage and our own theme whenever we get changed."

 

"...I can't tell whether or not you're serious right now," Amy said, lips twitching in amusement as she pulled on her boss-ass leather pants. "But I really hope you are."

 

"Same. How friggin' class would we be if we got to Sailor moon this shit?" 

I returned Chica's goofy grin as I bent down to help her with her  armor, glad that we could still joke around in the face of an imminent and unknown danger that could very well end up killing us. We lived on the bright side of things. 

 

"Right? Now..." I snapped the last buckle into place and turned to the gargantuan lump of fur that was still snoring up a storm in front of the coffee table. "What do we do about him? And why can't we use a portal to get out of here?" 

"Shifters can't use portals, just like regular animals can't," Amy explained. "No one really knows why; There's just something fundamentally different about their physical makeup that makes it nearly impossible for them to survive the jump."

My eyebrows rose; this was news to me. "But Chica uses them just fine," I pointed out.

"I think that's because she's connected to you. The only way any other animal or shifter would get through a portal is..." Amy trailed off and glanced back at Chirombo, realization dawning in her eyes. "...In pieces," she finished in a murmur before turning back to us, her face set in a frown.

"Guys... I think I know what happened here."


	6. 6

Mark's POV: 

"Guys... I think I know what happened here."

"Wait, lemme guess," Chica stopped her. "I'm assuming he came here through a portal, right? Hence the whole, 'getting thrown through our wall looking like he'd been in a cat fight with another lion,' thing."

"That's right," Amy confirmed, looking impressed. 

"Okay, but why? If he knew that he might not make it out alive, why would he take that risk?" I asked, gesturing to thgrwounded king. 

"Desperation. I'm assuming since Mikhail knew Chirombo was involved but was still surprised that he was here, the king was just supposed to call us."

"Once again: why?"

"I have a vague idea..." Amy murmured. "Mark, what do you know about the Korean war?"

I rubbed the back of my neck with an awkward chuckle. "Uh... less than I should," I admitted sheepishly. "But what does that have to do with anything "

A deep growl of a voice iinterupted her before she could answer. 

"Perhaps I should elucidate," Chirombo rumbled, prompting the rest of us to turn towards him in shock. The lion grimaced and opened a single eye. "It's what I came here for, after all."

The three of us dashed to his side as he attempted to rise.

"Chirombo!"

"Woah, easy! Save your strength!" I exclaimed as I tried to get him to lay back down. I was forced back when he snarled and snapped at my hands, just an inch short of biting my fingers off.

"Bah! My strength is naught to me, King of squirrels," He growled, fixing me with an irritated glare even as he grimaced with the pain of his wounds. "I can carry myself on my will alone." 

With that, he rolled over and  slowly forced himself to stand, faltering a bit before managing to plant his feet firmly beneath him. He proudly squared his shoulders and tossed his mane, dismissing my concerns with a huff before turning to Chica. 

"Greetings, Chica Gold-fur," he growled with a light nod.

Chica bowed forward in what was probably intended to be a regal gesture, but the effect was negated by her frantically wagging tail. "Greetings, King Bright-fang." 

"Ah, you remembered," Chirombo chuckled. "I am impressed, dog."   
He turned to Amy then, regarding  her with interest. 

"And you; I do not believe we have met. FRIEND OF FUR!"  He thundered abruptly, making all three of us jump back at his sudden outburst. "I am Chirombo the shredder, Bright of fang and Bold of Claw! Bare your teeth, human!" He snarled fiercely.

Amy, recognizing that she was being honored, immediately took a knee and placed her fist over her heart. 

"King of Fur! I am Amae-Aleya of the earth, Bright of heart and Strong of Will," she proclaimed, bowing her head. After a moment of silence, she looked back up with her classic cheeky grin. "But you can call me Amy. Well met, king."

Chirombo's eyes seemed to glint with humor as his mouth twitched, baring his teeth in something like a smile. I found myself grinning along with him, happy that Amy managed to make such a stellar first impression.

"Well met indeed, Amy Bright-heart," he returned with a gracious nod. "Now..." 

He shocked us all once again when, without any sort of warning, his body... changed. I cringed in revulsion at the unmistakable sound of multiple bones breaking and gnashing together as he began to shrink; his mane retracted and disappeared along with his claws and teeth as his body became smaller and more compact. The process took all of five seconds. When he was done, the result was astonishing:

 

Afterward, all we could do was stand there and stare agog at the golden retriever that had taken the lion's place. Its serene, superior demeanor made what would have looked like an otherwise adorable dog seem more unsettling than cute. He shook off the bandages that had loosened considerably during his transformation, reopening a couple wounds in the process; luckily, they weren't that bad, and wouldn't be that hard to rewrap.

When he spoke, his voice was about two octaves higher and lacked its former burr so that he sounded less like James Earl Jones and more like a man in his early thirties.

"I have taken an unassuming form, that we may leave this place unhindered," he said as he began to limp towards the front door. "We will use your automobile, and I will explain as we travel." 

Chica yipped happily and trotted after him, playfully nudging him with her snout before falling into step at his side. With nothing else to do, Amy and I looked at each other, shrugged, and followed behind them; they would probably need us to open the door. 

Third person POV:

The beady eyes of an unassuming garden snake peered out at them from a darkened corner of the living room, watching intently as they made their way out the door. The creature only moved when they were out of sight, quickly shifting into a sleek black mamba and dashing through the gaping hole in the kitchen wall that it had entered through.


	7. 7

Mark's POV:

I opened the passenger door for Chica so that Amy could take the back with Chirombo. Normally Amy would be riding shotgun and Chica would have the back to herself, but we figured that one of us needed to redo Chirombo's wrappings.

"I think I'll take back seat," Chica said dismissively. To my annoyance, She ignored the door I was holding in favor of hopping in the back door after Chirombo before Amy could sit there herself.

"It is alright," Chirombo assured me before I could explain why I wanted Amy to sit back there, "We haven't the time to argue and tarry for such trivial matters." 

I glanced at the king in the rearview mirror as I started up the car. "Any idea where we're headed? Mikhail didn't have time to give us specifics." 

"To the nearest airport," Chirombo answered as he lifted his head for Amy to rewrap his neck. "We will be taking a shadow portal to Korea." 

And there it was again. I got more worried every time my mom's home country was mentioned, especially since she was over there visiting with family at the moment. I held back my questions and focused on driving despite my growing anxiety, deciding to wait for Chirombo to explain himself. 

Once we were en route, Chirombo advised us to avoid the main roads and to be "vigilant and wary, for snakes see much easier than they are seen." 

Yet another repeat. Figuring that this was more than a Shifter idiom, I decided that right then would be a good time for questions.

"I'm starting to sense a couple recurring themes here," I spoke up, casting a glance in the rearview mirror as I did so. I was more than a little grossed out to see that Chica was helping Chirombo lick his wounds, but knowing that this was her way of showing her affection for the king, decided to ignore it. When I saw the king look up and cock his head at me in the mirror in response to my comment, I continued. 

"Mikhail called us earlier and warned us about the snakes as well, and Amy randomly mentioned the Korean war just before you woke up," I explained. "I'm just gonna take a wild guess and say that you guys are talking about the Reptile shifters, right?" When he nodded, I asked, "so what did they do to you guys? And what does it have to do with my family's country?"

I tried not to sound too demanding when I said all this, but I guess my stress leaked into my voice so that it came out a little harsher than intended. Chirombo growled a bit before speaking. 

"This is no fault of ours, Squirrel King. We were dragged into this war as you were, unsuspecting  and unwilling. We are well aware of the threat that this situation poses to your loved ones; rest assured that we are defending them well, keeping the conflict as removed from them as possible. My clan could do no other for a friend." 

Normally I'm an easy going guy who has no trouble brushing most things off my shoulders. But something in his tone annoyed me, more than it would have under any other circumstances. I gripped the wheel a little tighter, clenching my jaw to keep from getting defensive. I was starting to suspect that the whole, 'Hail to to the king' vibe I was getting from Chirombo was gonna get real old, real quick. Seeing how tense with stress I was, Amy turned in her seat to address the offended king.

"I don't think he was accusing anyone, your highness," she assured him in a reasonable tone. "He's just worried about his loved ones, a sentiment that I'm sure you understand." 

"Indeed. I apologize as well," Chirombo said with a gracious tilt of his head. I bit my tongue and just barely held myself back from pointing out that I hadn't apologized to him and didn't have any intention of doing so unless I had a real reason to. I let it go with a deep sigh, ignoring the slight annoyance I felt from Chica. 

I forgot all about it when, without any warning or preamble, Chirombo began telling us his story.


	8. 8

Mark's POV: 

  "I ask that you pardon the brevity of my tale; Our time is short, and so my story must also be. By your calendar, the year was 1938 when a Rogue Warlock by the name of Adolf Hitler-"

"Wait, Hitler?" Chica interrupted. "Weren't we just talking about the Korean war?"

"Uh, I'm actually more interested in that Warlock bombshell. Are you seriously trying to tell us that the fuehrer was a Male Witch?" I asked incredulously. Not thirty seconds into his explanation and I was already reeling. 

The other retriever silently fixed us with a sardonic stare that looked as if he was sarcastically asking for our permission to continue. 

"...Sorry. go on." 

"Thank you. Now, there are a few things I need to clarify about the catastrophe that the humans refer to as, 'World War Two.' There are quite a few things that can't be found in any human history book..." 

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

The true cause of that war lies not in human error, but in the lust for power and influence that comes so naturally to many Paranormals. Like your stories say, the entire conflict began in small factions and continued to grow exponentially larger at a frightening rate. It drew in nearly every race and nationality of Paranormal and human alike, one by one until our entire world was bathed in the blood of both the magical and the mundane. 

It all began with one powerful warlock: Adolf Hitler. He was naturally charismatic, and charming enough to charm an entire human government into following him and to recruit three more rogue Warlocks that would later become some of the most infamous names in recent human and Paranormal history.

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

"Benito Mussolini of the Italian Hecate coven, Joseph Stalin of the now dissolved Russian shadow coven, Michinomiya Hirihito of the now dissolved East Asian Uzumaki coven, and Adolf Hitler of the British Raven coven," Chirombo listed formally. "These were the four men who began it all." 

"Jesus. I had no idea," I said quietly before glancing briefly away from the road at Amy. "You're giving me a history lesson one of these days," I told her. 

"So the commies were Paranormal," Chica chimed in. "Cool. But if we're throwing what we know out the window... why did Hitler murder six million people while Stalin and Mussolini painted their towns red?" 

"Wait, how do you know about-" I began before realizing. "oh. Right."

"Yep. Shared memories." 

"The answer to your question is in my next point," Chirombo said, putting an end to our disruption as he continued. 

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

The three other rogue Warlocks originally had very different goals, most of which had to do with territory disputes and old grudges against their respective former covens. So when Hitler suggested an alliance to accomplish all of their goals together in exchange for assistance in meeting his own ends, it took very little convincing to get them to jump at the chance. 

Adolf Hitler's goal was revenge against the Hecate coven, specifically its Belladonna, Zanna Bianche. Though the reasons for his banishment in the human year nineteen twenty-five are unknown to this day, they were enough to ignite a burning desire for vengeance within him. 

However, Zanna was- and still is- known as the oldest and possibly most powerful Witch alive. The scorned Warlock knew that he would never come close to the coven while they were under her protection. And so, he decided on the next best thing: instead of attacking her directly, he would break her spirit, thwart her plans, anything to cause her frustration. Pain. 

He would break her prophecy. 

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

"Prophecy?" I asked when Chirombo paused to gather his thoughts. Amy ended up responding before he could.

"Zanna Bianchi is one of only five oracles alive today," she explained. "It's one of the main reasons she's survived so long; she can see most any threat before it hits her. She's always ten steps ahead." 

"Got it. But the prophe-" 

"The prophecy Chirombo mentioned is one of many that she's had over the years. But this one is special. It's one of the Hecate coven's greatest, secrets kept for over a thousand years. Don't," she stopped me as I opened my mouth, "ask how she's lived that long. No one knows." 

"The only reason we know of the prophecy's existence is because of the war," Chirombo cut in. "Before Adolf Hitler was banished, he was somewhat of a right hand man to the Belladonna. And, as such, it is suspected that he was privy to the contents of the work. Whether or not she foresaw his treachery is as  unknown to us as the prophecy is. What we do know of it can be surmised from Hitler's actions against it." 

"And what do we know?" Asked Chica curiously. 

"It all centers around the Alchemists," the king answered darkly, "but more on that later. We've arrived." 

I must have been driving on autopilot while I'd been listening because, to my surprise, I suddenly found myself pulling into the airport parking lot without knowing it. 

I found a parking spot pretty easily since it was so early in the morning and put the car kn park.

"Alright. Let's go."


	9. 9

Mark's POV:

Now, I'm usually a pretty unassuming guy, not exactly the 'sleep with one eye open,' type. But as we walked through that bustling city-state of an airport, I found myself looking over my shoulder every minute or so, unable to stop myself from obsessively rubbing at the hairs standing up on the back of my neck.

"Not to be cliche, but... does anyone else feel like we're being watched?" I asked in a whisper as we made our way through the unusually malleable crowd of fellow travellers that were parting back around our every step.   
"I'm not the only one going nuts here, right?" 

"I feel... something," Chica agreed slowly. "Or maybe it's a lot of things. I'm not really sure."

"What do you mean a lot of things?" I demanded. 

"The detection ward set over this place is a diluted form of the original spell meant to serve selectively," Chirombo explained. He was trotting along ahead of the group, somehow managing to make his movements look regal even in the form of a goofy dog. "It only protects those under its power from being seen by those ignorant of its power." 

"Meaning...?"

"Meaning that anyone or anything else that also knows about the ward and is using it can see us," Amy said. "So there could be any number of Paranormals in this airport who are aware of our presence." 

"And there are probably at least a couple if my nose has anything to say about it." 

I shook my head, my eyes rolling almost involuntarily at their untroubled tones. I, on the other hand, was a little less blithe, unable to stop myself from glancing through the crowd every couple seconds to look for who or what might be watching. 

See, as former members of the ragtag team known as "The Outsiders," Amy, Chica and I were famous by default in the Paranormal world, even more so than in the human one. Unfortunately, we were also a lot more controversial there as well. Depending on who you asked, we were either celebrities or pariahs, heroes or war criminals; there was no in between with these people, no gray area.

So you can understand how much it freaked me out to know that I was being watched by several mystery characters with unknown intentions. 

The current situation aside, I was even more worried about whatever it was that Felix, Marzia, and Mikhail had been dragged into. When I wasn't looking for possible threats, I was continually glancing down at my phone that I had gripped tightly in my hand to see if one of them had responded to any of what must have been at least a hundred collective texts from me. Part of me knew that if they were in big enough trouble, they likely wouldn't have time to answer any texts. I kept trying though, if only for my own sanity. 

Our experiences with Vampires thus far had been anything but amicable, especially where Felix was concerned. Our first and only meeting with their royal family at the House gathering last year had ended with Leo, one of the Vampire lord and Lady's two children, leaving that place an only child. That said, anyone could understand why that day might have left a bitter taste in their mouth. 

What I couldn't wrap my head around was why the majority of those blood-sucking pretweens believed that Lillah's death was Felix's fault. In reality, it was clearly a case of sororicide. I'd heard the story from Marzia herself when Felix was still so broken up about the little girl's death that she'd had to briefly take over that part of her boyfriend's story. It turned out that Leo had been the one to take his own sister's life when he literally stabbed her in the back. He had driven a dagger into her heart from behind when she was off her guard, killing her in cold blood. 

...Also literally. 

The blade-happy little psycho had fled and left his sister to die in Felix's arms, all in clear view of at least six semi-conscious members of his own species, so all of them still having it out for Felix specifically made no sense. Had the little prince forced them all to keep mum so that he was never found out? Or did the Vamps already know, but still blame their dead daughter's idol for leading her astray? 

It sure beat the hell outta me. 

I was just about to check my phone again when Chirombo's voice broke through my anxious musings to once again announce: 

"We have arrived." 

I shoved my phone in my pocket and looked up to see that we'd stopped in front of a big, blank stretch of wall a little ways off to the side from where people normally stood in line for tickets. The area was completely devoid of signs, decorations and, strangely enough, people. The crowd flowed around the area we now stood in as if avoiding an invisible curved wall around fifteen feet in diameter, not a one of them aware of our presence. 

"Stand back, so that your auras do not interfere with mine," Chirombo commanded as he approached the empty stretch of wall. "She will recognize me, but I do not know how much your presence will offend her." 

"She?" I whispered to Amy as we obediently stepped back to stand near the unassuming passersby.

"A Naga named Minthe," Amy clarified for me. "The Nagas are the ones who own the shadow portal services in a lot of major airports around the world. There's a Naga or two posted in each one; this one's name is Minthe." 

"Ah." 

Chirombo reared up and pressed his front paws into the wall. Yellow circles of light about three feet wide appeared beneath each of his paws and began to rotate slowly while cryptic symbols and markings appeared and disappeared within them, hypnotically flashing in and out of sight. The King began to make odd noises that sounded a little like normal growls and barks, but with a gruff, lilting cadence that made me realize that I was listening to what was most likely his native language. It was kind of beautiful, in its own way. 

I nearly gasped when a small portion of the wall in the dead center dropped away like an image on a green screen that someone ripped down the middle, revealing what was really behind it: a simple arched entryway about the size of an average door. 

It was dark in there, pitch dark. No light from the outside seemed to penetrate the blackness beyond the entryway, making me wonder if that was part of the ward too. I was just thinking to myself that I would be okay with not knowing if it meant I wouldn't have to go in there to find out when-

"Follow," Chirombo ordered, striding through the archway and disappearing into the shadows without so much as glancing back to see whether or not we would follow his command. 

"...Lovely," I muttered sourly.

Chica, without missing a beat, trotted after him almost immediately with a happy, 'Bork!'  
She was closely followed by Amy, and then me by default since Amy grabbed my hand. 

My protests fell on unsympathetic ears as I was dragged into the abyss.


	10. 10

Mark's POV:

It was dark. Like, really dark. It was the kind of dark that made it impossible to tell whether my eyes were opened or shut. 

It was quiet as well, too quiet. As soon as we stepped through the threshold, all the noise from the crowded airport instantly disappeared. I actually had to glance back at the doorway to make sure that it was still there. The dead silence that accompanied the lack of scenery made the experience all the more unnerving. 

The only two things preventing me from bolting were the feeling of Amy's hand in mine, and my link with Chica that told me exactly where she was in front of me. 

I reached through the link as a sort of mental hand holding. 'I really, really hate this.' 

'I know, me too.' She telegraphed her own uneasiness as she spoke, 'I'm getting the weirdest smells right now.'  

'Like what?' 

Chica hesitated. I heard her snuffling in the darkness as she trotted along. 'Don't freak out, but... I smell snakes.' 

'...I'm freaking out.' 

When I whispered about Chica's findings to Amy, I felt her give my hand a reassuring squeeze. 

"Don't worry; She's probably just smelling the Nagas down here. They run the joint, remember?" 

'I heard that! I already know what Nagas smell like,' my dog snapped. 'I'm telling you, some snakes have been here!' 

We didn't end up saying anything to Chirombo about it, figuring he probably already knew. Eventually, he called us to a halt. Still blind as bats, the only thing we could do was wait and listen as he called out into the darkness.  

"Portal Master Minthe!" He boomed. His voice was once again much deeper, but in a different tone than the one he had as a lion;  he must have shifted back into a larger creature. "I am Chirombo of the Fur Shifter tribe, here to request transport for myself and my three companions!" 

There was more silence for a moment. Then, a much larger version of the two glowing circles on the wall outside appeared beneath our feet, spinning dizzily on what I could now see was a smooth cave floor. I blinked and looked around as the light from the rock below illuminated our surroundings: we were standing in the middle of a long stone tunnel that looked like it could have occurred naturally, with smooth walls and jagged growths on the floors and ceilings. 

The light wasn't much comfort though. If anything, being able to see my immediate surroundings and nothing else made everything creepier. The feeling I got from looking into the blackness of the tunnels behind and before me was like being stranded in a vast sea, unable to see what horrors lay just below the surface. Waiting and watching, ready to strike. 

In case you couldn't tell, I hate the ocean. 

I didn't have to bear it for long though, because a moment later, the light disappeared as the ground dropped out from below our feet. I didn't have time to utter so much as a 'holy shit!' Before we were free falling through the air, shrieking as we went.


	11. 11

Mark's POV: 

"Ow..."

I sat up and rubbed my aching back and backside. I shook my head and tried to blink the spots out of my eyes, only to realize that it wasn't spots in my vision; I just flat out couldn't see. 

"Dark again. Fan-friggin-tastic. Amy? Chica?" I called out. A second later, I felt a cold snoot against my cheek followed by a thorough lick.   
"...That better be you, pupper." 

'I'm not Chirombo, if that's what you're asking.' 

"Thank goodness. Amy?" 

"Over here! Keep talking so I can find you," Amy called out from somewhere in the darkness. I kept one hand on Chica's head and the other stretched out in front of me as I walked towards her voice.

"Uh... Marco?" 

There was a chuckle from Amy. Then: "Polo, you dork." 

"Marco?" 

"Polo!" Her voice was closer this time. 

"Marco!" 

"Polo?" It came from behind me this time, a little farther away now. She sounded confused; dang, I must have passed her up. 

"Uh, Mar-" 

'There she is!' Chica suddenly exclaimed. Before I could stop her, my dog left my side and bolted away towards where I assumed she'd found Amy. 'C'mon, Marko!' 

"Chica, wait! Ah jeez..." I groaned. I reached out through the link and found her dead ahead about ten yards away. 

'Just follow my signature, yeesh,' Chica snorted. I sighed and started moving in that direction, arms outstretched and ready to catch myself in the very likely event that my clumsy ass should bump into something or fall on my face.   
As it turned out, about halfway there, I really did bump into something. Almost fell over, too. Foreshadowing, or self-fulfilling prophecy? You decide. 

I Yelped and leapt back before cautiously reaching out again to feel what it was. My hands touched a person's face, a woman's. 

"Amy?" I asked uncertainly. I was filled with relief when I felt her take my hands and hold them in her own.

"Oh thank God. You're a hard woman to find," I teased as I gave her hands a playful squeeze. "Jesus babe, your hands are like ice." 

"Uh... Mark? What are you doing?" Amy asked, sounding confused. 

I froze. Her voice had echoed from somewhere farther in front of me, not nearly as close as it should have sounded. My blood ran cold as I realized that whoever, or whatever, was in front of me was not my girlfriend.

"Damn it!!" I hissed, yanking my hands away and quickly dashing around them to get to my girls. 

'Oh crap! Mark!!' Chica shouted, apparently having just realized my predicament. 'That's not Amy!' 

"Yeah, I noti- GAH!" 

Before I could finish my sarcastic retort, I tripped over something and went sprawling onto the unforgiving stone floor with a hearty 'oof.' I started to leap to my feet, but was thwarted when whatever I'd fallen over freaking came to life, wrapping around my ankles and preventing my escape. 

"A little help here!!" I shouted shakily as I kicked and struggled to no avail. I once again felt a snoot on my face, this time accompanied by a warm pair of hands. 

"What's happening?!" Amy asked frantically, feeling around my body for threats or injuries. 

"I-It's down there, it's on my...!" I started to say, but was cut off yet again, this time by a monstrous growl that sent chills racing up my spine. 

'Let go of him. NOW," Chica  commanded with a tone of absolute authority, snarling ferociously all the while. Amy and I froze, aware of the danger but unable to see the threat she was confronting. There was a pause, and then: 

'Alright bitch, You asked for it.' 

We couldn't see what happened, but I think Amy would agree when I say that what we heard was terrifying enough. I heard Chica let out a deep war cry of a bark before going on the attack, her paws striking the ground as she lunged at the enemy. Her barks devolved into rabid snarls as she tore viciously into her target. Unsurprisingly, my legs were quickly freed, but I was still unable to do anything more than listen. So, clutching Amy in my arms, kept my ears open and hoped for the best. 

I winced when a light squishy crunch followed by a woman's terrified shriek told me that Chica had broken some skin and possibly bone. There was a slidy/slithery sound that started loud and faded as it got farther away, like someone was dragging something away across the floor. I was nearly hysterical at the gruesome thought. 

"Chica? Chica!!" I yelled frantically into the shadows. Then there it was, prodding my hand: 

The snoot.

'Marco.' 

"Oh my God," I breathed as I dropped down to squeeze her tightly. "You scared the hell out of me, girl." 

'Not as bad as I scared medusa over there,' she said smugly. I pulled back and looked at where her face would be if I could see. 

"Uh... who?" 

"She means ME." 

The lights flicked on.


	12. 12

Mark's POV: 

When my eyes finally adjusted to the light, we were in a completely different place than before. I blinked the last of the darkness from my eyes as I took in our surroundings. 

"Woah..." I breathed.

 

We were standing in the middle of what was probably the most beautiful natural cavern I'd ever seen. The area was gigantic, roughly half the size of a professional football stadium. It was large enough that my awed whisper echoed back and forth for at least five seconds before it finally died. Every inch of the cave was bathed in a soft, yet piercing azure light that emanated from inside the gargantuan crystal obelisks that jutted out from the ceiling and walls. The light within each glass-like crystal pulsed and wavered like a beating heart, moving hypnotically over every surface in a way that made me think of pure, fresh water, sparkling in the sun. 

Damn, I'm good; I should be a poet. 

After we spent about ten seconds of silence admiring the stunning scenery, our little break was cut short when a low growl erupted from deep within Chica's Chest. I looked down at her and winced at the blood dripping from her teeth and chin; the dog looked like she had just committed a freaking murder. 

Thoroughly grossed out, I focused my attention instead on where she was looking. 

I followed her fierce gaze to a tall and skinny crystal stalagmite that rose from the ground about fifty yards away from where we stood. A slender, fifteen foot long tail spiraled down its length from around halfway up, obscuring nearly half of the glowing pillar from view. The appendage was covered in gleaming emerald green scales that were tinted blue in the surrounding light. The upper half of a gorgeous woman's body was attached to the other end of the tail. 

And she was pissed.

 

I held back a shudder of disgust as I remembered our encounter with those three Nagas right after we found out that Virgil wasn't a pile of sparkly purple dust. Me, Sean, and even Virgil had been completely powerless against their combined magic. I didn't want to think about what would have happened if Chica hadn't been there to save our asses; death by a murderous sex snake was NOT the way I wanted to go. 

No one said anything for about thirty seconds as the Naga stared us down, the tip of her tail twitching back and forth as if it was itching to lash out and squeeze us to death. I was relieved when Amy finally spoke. 

"Who are you? And where is Chirombo?" She demanded. The cave echo drew out and magnified every word, making it sound like three people were talking at the same time. The Naga gave no indication that she'd heard Amy's question; she just continued to shoot daggers at us with her eyes. 

Confused, I shot Amy a questioning glance. "Wait, I thought the Naga for this portal was Minthe?" I whispered. 

She shook her head slowly, never taking her troubled eyes off of the woman's face. "She is... But that's not Minthe." 

"...Son of man."

My eyes jerked back to the unnamed Naga when she spoke. Her delicately accented voice was a low, sultry hiss that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Despite how softly she spoke through the distance that separated us, I could still make out her every word. 

"Do you... do you mean me?" I asked uncertainly. She continued on like I hadn't spoken.

"Son of man, are you the master of that dog?"

"Well, It's more of a partner thing, but... I mean yeah, I guess," I offered. My eyes briefly flicked down to where a startling amount of blood dripped from the tip of her tail and oozed down the pillar she clung to. It was confirmed; that was her blood on Chica's chin. 

The Naga's eyes suddenly narrowed as her eyebrows arched into a deep frown. Her lips pulled back into an open mouthed snarl that revealed a forked tongue and a set of lethal fangs. 

"That dog owes me her blood," she snarled as her previously human voice devolved into a menacing hiss. "Her blood for mine."

'Come and get it, Medusa!' Chica taunted her with an intimidating grimace of her own. 'That last one was love bite!!" 

"Chica, wait. Don't," Amy told her firmly. Then she looked back to the snake woman that was nearly shaking with unadulterated rage. The thing looked ready to charge us. "Naga huntress, I know who you are," Amy addressed her in a formal tone, catching the woman's attention. She calmed down ever so slightly. 

"Oh? And who am I, child of earth?" She asked. 

Then, to our absolute shock, Amy raised her right hand and rested it against her forehead as if she was praying with one hand. She then bowed her head and humbly took a knee. 

"Stheno, Naga Queen of the Nile," Amy declared.


End file.
